Ryanair's proposed acquisition of Aer Lingus is "rather unlikely" to succeed, chief executive Michael O'Leary has admitted in an interview with Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitungnewspaper.
Ryanair withdrew its € 1.48 billion hostile takeover bid in December last year after the European Commission launched an inquiry, citing "serious competition concerns" over the proposed merger of Ireland's two biggest airlines.
The commission last month extended the deadline for its inquiry to June 13th.
"We'll wait and see what conditions the commission demands and then rethink this," Mr O'Leary said. "But we don't think anything will happen before the elections in Ireland."
Last month Ryanair deputy chief executive Howard Millar said there was "a very good possibility" of a fresh bid for the Irish flag carrier either immediately or in the next year if it gets the green light from the European Union.
A Ryanair spokesman today said the airline remains committed to its plans to buy Aer Lingus and is confident about a favourable decision by the commission.
Mr O'Leary also said Ryanair is in talks with six airports in Germany to expand its flight network in the country and will likely start flying from southern Germany within the next two years.
Two of the six German airports are in the southern part of the country, from where Ryanair could offer domestic flights to Berlin and Bremen, Mr O'Leary said.
He also said the company's request to receive access to Munich airport's Terminal 2, which is used only by Deutsche Lufthansa and its partner airlines, was denied in writing.
The airport replied with "two words: Go away," Mr O'Leary told the newspaper. "But eventually they are going to realise that real growth lies with the budget airlines and they will let us in."